When the term “Jack O'Lantern” first appeared in print in 1750, it referred to a night watchman or a man carrying a lantern. This was based on an Irish folk legend about a man named Jack who was forced to wander in the darkness until “Judgment Day”, thus becoming known as the symbol of a damned soul. At the time, people believed that spirits and ghosts left the grave on Halloween and would seek out warmth in their previous homes. Villagers, fearful of the possibility of being visited by the ghosts of past occupants, would dress up in costumes to scare the spirits on their way. They would also leave food and other treats at their door to appease the spirits, so they would not destroy their homes or crops, but instead move on down the road. They also began to hollow out turnips with a face either painted or carved into it, and placed lighted candles inside, hoping the image of a dammed soul would scare the spirits away.
The Irish Potato Famine (1845-50) prompted over 700,000 men, women and children to immigrate to the Americas. These immigrants brought with them their traditions of Halloween and Jack O'Lanterns, but turnips were not as readily available in the United States as in Ireland. They found however, the American pumpkin to be a more than adequate replacement. Today, the carved pumpkin is perhaps the most recognizable icon of the holiday, and carving a pumpkin is one of the most popular activities of the season, enjoyed by families and people of all ages.
Traditionally, pumpkin carving involves the removal of a portion of the pumpkin shell surrounding the stem, removal of the seeds and fibers contained in the pumpkin and carving humorous, grotesque or other decorative features in the pumpkin shell by removing fleshy portions of the shell to obtain the desired appearance. Internal illumination is then provided by a candle or electric light. This illumination results in a glowing decorative pattern.
Carved pumpkins are often placed on display indoors or outdoors during the days surrounding Halloween. It is generally desired that such a carved pumpkin will maintain its appearance for a significant time period. One problem with preserving the appearance of a carved pumpkin is that, over time, the fleshy shell of a carved pumpkin will degrade from the effects of environmental factors acting upon it. A carved pumpkin may dry out over time, causing the shell to shrink and the design carved therein to become warped. Mildew, mold and fungus may begin to grow thereupon, causing further degradation and an unsightly appearance, as well as creating difficulties in disposing of the degraded pumpkin shell. Because pumpkins are a fruit, they will attract insects when cut and stored outdoors. Further, outdoor temperature fluctuations can cause periodic freezing and thawing of the water contained in the pumpkin shell, which can rapidly break down cell material, causing additional degradation and detriment to the appearance of the carved pumpkin. It should be noted that other vegetables (such as squash), as well as fruit, which may also be hollowed out and carved into decorative configurations, can be subject to similar environmental degradation.
An attempt to solve the problem of carved pumpkin degradation is found in the “Pumpkin Fresh” product, produced by Large Marketing, PO Box 871211, Vancouver, Wash. 98687 and “PROTECTIVE COATING FOR DECORATIVE VEGETABLE MATERIAL”, U.S. Pat. No. 6,099,892.
The Pumpkin Fresh product contains sodium benzoate and purports to be an fungicidal solution. Sodium benzoate is fungistatic not fungicidal, and is effective only in acidic conditions (pH<4.5). See O. Padilla-Zakour, Chemical Food Preservatives: Bonzoate & Sorbate, Venture, NYS Food Venture Center, Summer 1998•Vol. 1 No. 2. The Pumpkin Fresh product is slightly alkaline (pH 8.2), thus nullifying the effectiveness of the sodium benzoate. Furthermore, the product does not offer any protection from shriveling or other geometric distortions due to dehydration.
To attempt to retard the growth of mold and other fungi, U.S. Pat. No. 6,099,892, “PROTECTIVE COATING FOR DECORATIVE VEGETABLE MATERIAL”, contains the chemical fungicide 3-iodo-2-propynyl butyl carbamate, which is a proven carcinogen, as well as a reproductive, developmental and neurological toxin. See S. Kegley, B. Hill, S. Orme, PAN Pesticide Database, Pesticide Action Network, North America (San Francisco, Calif. 2007).
U.S. Pat. No. 6,099,892 also contains ethylene glycol to prevent freezing, and due to its sweet taste, children and animals will sometimes consume large quantities of it if given access. Ethylene glycol is highly toxic with an estimated LD100 in humans of approximately 1.4 ml/kg. See J. Brent, Current management of ethylene glycol poisoning, Drugs, 61 (7): 979-88, PMID 11434452. However, as little as 30 milliliters (2 tablespoons) can be lethal to adults. See D. Field, Acute ethylene glycol poisoning, Crit Care Med 13 (10): 872-3, PMID 4028762.
To attempt to preserve a carved pumpkin's shape, U.S. Pat. No. 6,099,892 incorporates a film former of styrene acrylic resin to create a vapor barrier to trap moisture inside the flesh of the pumpkin. This trapped moisture actually promotes decay, rather than prevent it. The ancient Egyptians realized this centuries ago, which is why they chose to preserve their mummies by removing moisture, not sealing it in. Bacteria, decay mold and decay fungi are present in almost all organic materials. When moisture and a food source (namely the carved pumpkin) become available they will multiply rapidly and quickly break down the pumpkin.
Also, U.S. Pat. No. 6,099,892 offers no protection against insect infestation, which depending on geographic and weather conditions, can have devastating results.
Both of these above mentioned solutions are inherently flawed by their method of application. In both cases, the preservative solution is applied by spraying a thin coat of the product to the exterior of the pumpkin. While this method may offer limited protection to the outside of the pumpkin, they do not offer any protection to the plant material below the surface.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a relatively safe and efficient method of retarding environmental degradation and insect infestation of the entirety of carved pumpkins. There is thus a need in the industry for a relatively safe and effective composition and method for treating carved pumpkins which are operative to retard environmental degradation and insect infestation thereof. The present invention satisfies these needs and provides these benefits.
It is therefore an object of the invention to prevent shriveling, collapse or other geometric distortions of the desired shape of a carved pumpkin.
It is another object of the invention to retard decomposition of a carved pumpkin.
It is another object of the invention to retard microbial and fungi growth on the carved pumpkin.
It is another object of the invention to repel insects away from a carved pumpkin.
It is another object of the invention to provide a method for treating a carved pumpkin with preservative solution.